Lincoln, Tracy likely to decide league crown

When San Joaquin Athletic Association play kicks off tonight, the primary question in the final year of the conference's current lineup is this: Can anyone dethrone Lincoln?

If anyone can, it's Tracy.

The Trojans have won the past three league banners and haven't lost a conference game since 2009, when Tracy beat Lincoln 37-21 at A.G. Spanos Stadium on the Bulldogs' way to a 10-0 regular season.

There are storylines among the other four schools. Franklin (3-2) has already won three games for the first time since 2006, Lodi (2-3) seems to be finding a rhythm in a new system under a new coach, and both Bear Creek (1-4) and Chavez (1-4) have showed signs of turning the corner.

But the league title?

It's between Lincoln (0-5) and Tracy (4-1).

The Trojans have played the toughest nonleague schedule in the entire section, and they've been competitive in most games.

Tracy has not beaten a team with a better ranking than any program that's beaten the Trojans.

"We've played two really good second halves" in a 22-8 loss to St. Mary's and a 36-21 loss to Granite Bay. "That shows our kids are still fighting."

Actually, Tracy's 4-1 mark is probably a good representation of where they are. The Bulldogs played a balanced schedule - not brutal and certainly not soft - which included a win over Sierra.

"I like where we're at. I've been real pleased with our defensive play," Tracy coach Matt Shrout said. "I was skeptical because we're young, but they've come around. When we do make mistakes and address them in practice, we learn from those mistakes."

Lodi will stay with Lincoln and Tracy next year, joining West, Tokay and St. Mary's in the Tri-City Athletic League.

How the Flames finish this year is anyone's guess. They lost three of their first four, all by lopsided scores, but they rebounded last week with an impressive win over Calaveras.

It could be a sign Lodi just needed time to get in sync running first-year head coach Robert Sperling's new Wing T offense.

Bear Creek and Chavez appear ready to turn a corner, but whether that turn comes this season is tough to say. The Bruins opened the season 1-1 behind a 36-0 win over McNair. They've also lost two games by three points or fewer.

Chavez is in a similar situation. The Titans have played in two blowouts the past two weeks, beating Sacramento-Kennedy 54-19 before losing to Stagg 50-25. But with a couple of breaks in the first three weeks, Chavez could have easily been 3-1 rather than 1-3.

Then there's Franklin, which is basically playing with house money the rest of the season. They've gone 1-9 the past three years, but second-year coach Scott Behnam has the program moving in a positive direction.

They've already won three games for the first time since 2006. If not for a heartbreaking 34-31 loss to Edison they'd be entering league 4-1. Regardless of the way the Yellowjackets finish, 2013 will be a success.